With representation on 49 campuses, PAVE (Peer Advisors for Veteran Education) is making an impact as military veterans join the ranks of college students.
Dr. Michelle Kees
The support program for incoming military veteran students was founded in 2012 at the University of Michigan (UM). It has three pillars: outreach, support, and linkage to resources. New students are paired with trained peer advisors who help them navigate higher education — from understanding their Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits to seeking out tutoring to connecting them with resources for physical and mental health to finding stable housing.
“The model allows for us to train campus teams on how to provide peer support, how to help engage student veterans on campus, strategies for outreach and connection and an approach for linking student veterans to needed resources,” says Dr. Michelle Kees, director of PAVE and M-SPAN (Military Support Programs and Networks) at UM. “Our job involves offering these teams technical assistance, problem-solving, support, brainstorming around how to best engage student veterans and support them.”
Increasing access for veterans on campus
Incoming veteran students have immediate access to PAVE on the 49 campuses where it currently is available. New students are matched with a peer advisor on enrollment “to offer support and ensure their transition is smooth,” says Adriana Leal, director of the Military & Veteran Center at University of the Incarnate Word.
“Having another student veteran helps our new students ask questions or voice concerns they may be hesitant to do with offices on campus.” While the majority of participants are veterans, some programs also include reservists, National Guard, ROTC and military/veteran spouses and dependents.
The PAVE central office at the University of Michigan plans to advertise grants that allow for expansion to additional schools and note when the program is accepting applications from additional campuses interested in implementing the program. In the meantime, interested campuses can find information on social media or join one of the periodic webinars hosted by Kees and PAVE program manager Kali Lake.
